EcoKitty | Playhouse and Catnip Bow Tie

"We take great pride in the quality of our products and design them with the help of our expert kitty team. Everything is proudly made in Britain – in fact it is all made in our hometown, Plymouth! All of our products are made from recycled or locally sourced materials to keep our carbon footprint to an absolute minimum – we use recycled office supplies and an eco-printer too!" Quote from the Ecokitty webpage.

I've noticed that a lot of you also have some very cute cats that make regularly make appearances on your blogs, so I wanted to share with you a cute little company that I discovered recently. It started when I applied for a code on Facebook to get a free Catnip Bow Tie from EcoKitty, a family-run earth-friendly business who make lovely things for cats. I was so excited because the bow tie just looked so cute and I thought my cat would love it. When I contacted them I got a lovely reply from Ellie who runs the business along with, Arron, Sue and Matt. She suggested that I picked up the bow tie when I was down in Plymouth because that's where they are based and it would save me the postage. When I went to pick up the bow tie Ellie asked if Biggie (my cat) liked cardboard boxes, to which I replied "Yes! He just loves to sit in them." (he'll sit in anything) so she kindly gave me a 'Playhouse' for him, which is made entirely from recycled cardboard. 

I gave Bigs his pressies as soon as I got home the next day. The playhouse took me a few seconds to assemble and Ellie had kindly given me some cute stickers to keep it together. It folds out into a triangular shape so that your cat can climb inside. Bigs walked straight into it, making himself comfortable so I knew we were onto a winner with this one. Ellie had told me that thirty percent of cats don't react to catnip. I was hoping that Bigs wouldn't be part of that percentage! But the bow tie had no affect on him and all he did was give it a quick sniff and then walk off. Oh well, at least it can still be used as a toy. 

I would definitely recommend this little company because the people behind it are just so lovely and provide excellent customer service. The Bow Tie retails at just £3.49, so if your kitty is a fan of cat nip and you are looking for a cute little present then i'd definitely recommend it. The playhouse however is a bit pricier at £9.99... I personally wouldn't usually spend that much, even though I do love my cat to pieces. Especially because (as you already know) cats will love sleeping or playing somewhere one day and then are not in the least bit interested the next! But, they do offer a 'Playtime Hamper' which includes the playhouse, the cat nip bow tie and a little limited edition, felt, hand made ball all for £13.99,  which would save you some money and would make a purrrfect present for your cat!

Here's Bigs testing out the goodies himself...

Disclosure: The views expressed are based on my own experience.

Guest Post | How to Get the London Look

Recently, Sarah Atkinson from London Boutiques, who offer a selection of womenswear brands such as Vivienne Westwood, Acne and Preen contacted me about writing a guest post for you. She suggested writing about 'How to get the London look'. I really liked the sound of this as I'm moving to London next week and I thought it would definitely be something that you would all enjoy reading. So, without further ado, here's the piece!

Whilst we all take inspiration from fashion trends from all over the world, there is no denying that the look most of us love the most is our very own London city vibe. London fashion trends provide garments that we can wear with confidence and pride. If you are a British babe and proud, then let the world know it! Show off that polished city look with the edgy finishing touches that make London fashion one of the best in the world.

So, how do you rock the London look? Let’s find out...

Rounded sunglasses

Oversized sunglasses have become a must-have for every single London lady. They are sophisticated, glamorous and stylish. As of late rounded sunglasses have really soared in the world of fashion. They are undoubtedly the top style accessory for 2013. They fit into the London look perfectly due to their rock ‘n’ roll edge. Rounded sunglasses were a popular fashion item for the late John Lennon. You can just imagine wearing these whilst you kick back in the sun and listen to some tunes by The Beatles.

Leather

If you don’t have some leather in your wardrobe then you can’t claim to have the true London look. From leather boots to leather skirts to leather jackets; we love it all. And don’t worry; you don’t have to go for full on biker chick to emulate this trend successfully.

Skinny jeans

Skinny jeans are a style staple for all. This garment is extremely versatile; it can be worn again and again to create an array of different looks. Team with grungy ankle boots, a satchel, and a buttoned up white blouse for a casual glam look. Finish off with letterbox red lipstick and a high bun. Dress up with a pair of barely there stilettos, a chiffon top, sweeping long curls and an envelope clutch for evening glam. When buying a pair of skinny jeans you should definitely invest in quality. After all, this is a piece of clothing you will get a lot of use out of. Buy a designer pair such as those available from London Boutiques.

Satchel

Satchels have grown in popularity over the past few years and are now well and truly ingrained in British style. They have a studious feel to them, yet they are not merely appropriate for workwear. A satchel bag can offer the perfect way of adding a quirky edge to day attire – especially if you opt for one in a bright colour.

Dr Martens

This is definitely the footwear of choice for any London girl. British style is well known for taking pretty trends and edging them up to create the perfect balance. Dr Martens present you with the opportunity to do this. Team with denim hot pants, a bralet and a daisy chain for the perfect festival look.

MoneySupermarket | Budget Bucket List

I've literally just been tagged by the lovely Rachael from Beauty Pea to enter MoneySupermarket's Budget Bucket List competition and was so excited because it sounds like a pretty fun way to enter a competition. It's based on the film 'The Bucket list' which stars Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. MoneySupermarket want you to write about one 'budget' and one 'extravagant' bucket list item. If you want to find out more then you can have a read here. You talk about what's preventing you from doing these things and what it would mean to you to complete them and then tag 3 others to do the post. So here we go...

Budget Item

Image from Google

 I have always been a massive fan of the film The Lion King, which has meant that I have also always wanted to see the musical. However, every time I've been up to London to try and see it something has stopped me. The first time I was about eight years old. The musical was new to London and it was so busy that all of the tickets were sold out. The next time was only a couple of years ago and my friend queued all morning, only to be told that the voucher that he had could not be used on that particular musical. We were students at the time so didn't have a lot of money to spend on the tickets. So, The Lion King musical has been on my bucket list of a while now and it would mean so much to me if I could see it. So many of my friends have seen it and talk about how brilliant it is and I would love to experience that first hand one day.

Extravagant Item

Image from Google

Ok so...I really do enjoy a bit of shopping and I also love travelling and seeing different places. So if I had an unlimited amount of money I would take my friends around the world...on one giant shopping trip! We would visit all of the big cities like, New York City, London, Paris and stay in beautiful hotels. We would get to travel the world but also go on one massive shopping spree at the same time. If money was no object then we could also fly first class, which is something i've always wanted to try for some reason. Obviously money is stopping me from doing this one in real life, but if I could do it and take my friends with me we would have so much fun, eating at amazing restaurants, visiting different museums and seeing so many amazing sights.

I'm tagging...
I was tagged just now so i'm sorry that it's such late notice as the competition closes tomorrow, but you still have time!
Kat from Curls and Swirls
Ria from NatuRia Beauty 
Emily from Beleza By Ems

Photos On Film | Mount Edgcumbe

A couple of weeks ago (I've only just realised it's now August...whaat?) I told you guys about my visit to Mount Edgcumbe in Plymouth and how lovely it was. Ben took some 35mm film photos as we walked round the grounds and I wanted to share them with you! I love the grainy quality of them...it reminds me of photos from my childhood. 

Photos taken by Ben Cornish